Police: Woman hits, chokes, bites, strips young child’s clothes off at beach, while shoving sand in her face and eyes

A California woman was arrested on Friday after she reportedly bit, hit, and choked her 11-year-old daughter during what police are calling an “attempted exorcism.”

Sacramento Beereports that Kimberly Felder, 45, of Fernville, allegedly brought her daughter to Centerville beach on Friday, where she stripped the young girl naked and tried to perform an exorcism on her. According to a witness, Felder shoved handfuls of sand into the girl’s eyes and mouth. Afterwards, as a crowd of around a dozen people watched in shock, Felder reportedly started hitting her daughter in the head with a piece of driftwood and biting her.

A local resident and witness, John Marciel, tried to intervene, but he said even while trying to hold her back, Felder continued to attack the child. Another witness called 911.

When deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office arrived, Fernville told them she had to get “the demons” out of her daughter. The child was removed from the scene and taken to the hospital with cuts, bruises, and a severe injury to one of her ears.

Felder was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. She faces charges of suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, aggravate mayhem, attempted homicide, and felony child abuse.

Meanwhile, authorities announced that they’d like for Marciel to receive the Red Cross Life Saving Award for his effort to save the child, who may have died if not for intervention.

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